Chapter 890: Chapter 889: The Grace of That Sword_1
The gap between Invincible Earth Immortals narrowed infinitely, so aside from some initial alarm, Crack Earth King quickly calmed down.
After all, that strike was merely him exerting sixty percent of his strength.
Hua Yiyun, feeling the lingering Sword Qi in the air, sensed a familiar essence. A tremendously shocking speculation surfaced in his mind, and he opened his mouth, not daring to continue that line of thought.
Because even the person he revered to his core, to his very blood, couldn’t possibly possess such power within just a few short years. Perhaps it was just a senior with a similar sword technique.
"Sir, you have the courage to attack covertly, but do you not have the courage to show yourself?"
With Crack Earth King at his side, Demon Heart King yelled confidently, calling out to the surroundings.
"I’ve always been here; it’s just that you couldn’t see me."
In the midst of the plain voice, a ripple of Qi surged like ripples on water, the void trembled, and several figures appeared on the eastern side of the Righteous Path group.
Swish, swish, swish.
Countless gazes instinctively turned towards them, filled with a moment of bewilderment.
After the bewilderment, it was as though a dead pond had been struck by a boulder, causing waves to surge. Some people’s pupils shrank to pinpoints, their breathing abruptly ceased, and their bodies stiffened, hair on their necks standing on end.
Others were slightly stunned, their gaze inexplicably lingered on the young man in green. For some reason, his face seemed familiar.
Where had they seen him before...
And then.
These people were as if struck by lightning, their changing expressions slowed by shock, first astonishment, then realization, surprise, fright, and more, a mix of emotions.
Many were dumbstruck, mouths agape to the point of jaw soreness, yet unaware, their hearts still entrapped in terrifying speculations, unable to extricate themselves.
Since Kirin’s disappearance years ago, Divine Strategy Academy had kept any news of him strictly confidential. This was the Righteous Path’s protection for a prodigy. However, under the manipulation of some interested forces in the dark, Kirin’s portrait had long been circulated within the Martial World.
The people present were elites of the Martial World, each with their own connections and backgrounds. Most of them had seen portraits of Kirin, and a few had even seen the man himself.
At this moment, suddenly seeing the young man in green who had been absent for a long time, their emotions were indescribable.
The sparse mist over Surging Wave Island lingered incessantly, a dim outline of a fierce sun hanging high, casting golden light over the area, like a demure maiden’s exquisite golden veil.
But all the captivating luster paled in comparison to the shock brought by the appearance of the young man in green.
His tall figure, standing casually, exuded an effortless grace, like an orchid or a stately mountain, emerging from the faint fog. The two streaks of white in his hair fluttered gently, yet unaffected by the dampness, as if his whole being was present but transcended the place.
Atop Sword Evaluation Elegant Mountain, Shi Xiaole made a stunning impression, surpassing all, becoming unrivaled, moving the whole world, only to vanish at the pinnacle of his fame, leaving no more news of him in the Martial World.
Now appearing once more, he seemed like a divine sword transcending the mortal world, having shed its initial sharpness; deeply concealed brilliance, not flaunting its edge, but now more extraordinary and unforgettable than ever before.
For this was the tempering of experience, the enhancement of essence!
Shi Xiaole perfectly merged a man’s vigor with a swordsman’s spirit, creating his unparalleled charisma, to the extent that one could overlook his equally peerless appearance.
Captivating enough to topple cities and nations.
Who says these words can’t be applied to a man?
In an instant, everyone was speechless, suppressed by the aura of the young man in green.
"Brother Shi, hahaha, Brother Shi, you’ve finally returned."
One person, with tears brimming in his eyes, laughed loudly and unrestrainedly. If not "Little Kylin" Hua Yiyun, then who? In this moment, he had no trace of the dignity and burden of one of the Nine Great Heaven Kings, having forgotten the crisis around, he dashed forward to Shi Xiaole’s side.
Yuan Yuying, too, was overwhelmed with joy. Seeing the man who had changed her and her Brother’s lives, her heart was filled with too many emotions.
"Yiyun, your growth has exceeded my expectations, truly impressive."
Shi Xiaole smiled genuinely, patting Hua Yiyun on the shoulder.
He had observed the entire battle, and in his opinion, Hua Yiyun had maximized his strengths well. His self-created Sky Heart Sword technique was indeed exquisite and had great potential.
Of course, there were many flaws in the opponent’s adaptability, but only Shi Xiaole could see them. To everyone else in the world, Hua Yiyun’s power among his peers was almost invincible.
"Hehe, I’m not as good as Brother Shi."
Hua Yiyun was as refreshed as if he had drunk a big bowl of chilled sour plum soup on a scorching summer day.
No amount of praise or high regard from the Martial World could compare to Shi Xiaole’s single phrase of "truly impressive." The loneliness and hard work of countless nights had all been worth it upon hearing those words!
"Kirin, the world says your luck has been mostly bad. Who would have thought you’d appear here? What, do you want to meddle in today’s affairs and have a bout with this old man?"
An icy shout interrupted Shi Xiaole and Hua Yiyun, and Crack Earth King’s gaze grew solemn.
A man’s reputation is like the shadow of a tree. Kirin’s fame moved the Martial World, and those who had not experienced that era could never understand how sensational this young man was.
Even as Crack Earth King, when analyzed from all aspects, Shi Xiaole’s future should be less promising than Hua Yiyun’s, but upon seeing the former, the emotional impact far surpassed any that Hua Yiyun could elicit.
"Who made that move just now?"
Crack Earth King suddenly asked.
He didn’t believe Shi Xiaole had such power, but looking around, the few people by Shi Xiaole’s side obviously didn’t seem to be the culprits, and there were no other suspects nearby.
The crowd also manifested this question, eager to know the answer.
"Old fellow, far away on the horizon yet close before our eyes, aside from Brother Shi, who else here possesses such skill?"
The delicate voice came from Qiu Rou, who was in fact older than Shi Xiaole by some years, but felt too embarrassed to presumptuously call him ’Brother Shi.’ Calling him ’Young Hero Shi’ seemed too formal, so she opted for the cuter term ’Brother Shi’ instead.
"This..."
"You must be lying."
"Impossible!"
The group of Devil Path’s strongmen exclaimed.
What a joke, the last time he appeared, Shi Xiaole could barely fight at the Seventh Tier level, and in just a few years, had he turned into an Invincible Earth Immortal? Not even a rocket could boost someone that quickly.
The hopeful champions of the Righteous Path also wore looks of incredulous surprise, as the whole matter was far too shocking—even if the one in question was the Kirin, it was hard for people to believe.
Ignoring the reactions of those around him, Shi Xiaole simply stared at Crack Earth King and said, "Take your people and leave."
Hearing these words, Demon Heart King burst into uproarious laughter and pointed at Shi Xiaole, "You say leave, and we leave, who do you think you are?"
He had it clear in his mind that regardless of whether Shi Xiaole was the Invincible Earth Immortal who had intervened, even if he was, with the Crack Earth King’s skills, he was more than capable of handling the opponent. There was no reason to flee in terror because of a single sentence; that would be an utter disgrace, scorned by the Devil Path.
Crack Earth King also came to his senses, his turbid eyes flashed a dark and unfathomable glint as he spoke indifferently, "The Kirin truly lives up to its reputation, skilled and audacious. This old man is indeed eager to learn whether the once number one talent of the Flying Horse Dynasty truly lives up to his name."
As he spoke, a layer of unpredictable dark Qi burst from the hundred and eight thousand pores of Crack Earth King, taking the forms of dragons, snakes, knives, swords...
This dark Qi entwined and interwove with each other, forming layer upon layer of phantasmagoria, like a version of the human world’s inferno shrunk countless times. The terrifying aura spewed forth, making the ground as delicate as tofu, and suddenly collapsing inward. Thin strands of dark Qi even flew through the fissures in the ground towards Shi Xiaole at high speed.
"Cloud Peak!"
Just then, a sword light wrapped in layers of cloud mist appeared first, extending to a thousand feet long. With Qian Yuanchen swinging with all his might, it was like a sky-cleaving sword, leaving behind cloud scars in the sky that seemed unable to heal for a long time.
No one could describe the surprise in Qian Yuanchen’s heart.
With Shi Xiaole joining in, the two of them combined could, at worst, hold their own against Crack Earth King for a while, which was ample time for others to escape.
Bang!
The sword of cloud Qi struck the dark Qi, causing a frenetic tremor.
In the next moment, Qian Yuanchen’s face, which was flush with joy, suddenly froze. Blood sprayed from the base of his thumb, and the pain made it so he couldn’t hold onto his Cloud Peak Sword anymore. It flew out of his hands, and his body uncontrollably shot backward.
Qian Yuanchen’s face revealed an indescribable look of shock. He knew there was a gap between himself and an Invincible Earth Immortal, but he hadn’t expected it to be so vast.
This is bad, with Crack Earth King’s profound skills, even adding my own to that of the Kirin’s, we might not be able to manage.
Qian Yuanchen’s heart plummeted, and the other Righteous Path experts likewise felt a chill at their core.
While their minds were still struggling with shock, the silent young man in green made his move.
Without moving, without gathering energy, not even drawing his sword, he simply brought together the index and middle finger of his left hand, and with a light flick toward the approaching dark Qi...
"Mad..."
Before Demon Heart King could finish his contemptuous remark, he witnessed a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.
The normally ensnaring dark Qi, upon the motion of the sword fingers, acted as if it was put under a paralysis spell, speeding up increasingly. In contrast, the Sword Qi, which seemed to be mere threads and strands, condensed into a bundle, piercing rapidly into the flaws of the dark Qi, tunneling straight through.
The stark difference between the two led to the horrifying misconception that Shi Xiaole had struck first while Crack Earth King was merely on the defensive.
Swoosh!
The Sword Qi turned into a gentle breeze, stirring Crack Earth King’s hair while the dark Qi simultaneously cracked, exploding into numerous waves of light fragments.
"Kirin, your sword technique isn’t all that impressive, and yet you dare to be so bold..."
After being astounded, Crack Earth King laughed nervously, but his body involuntarily stepped back from fear. He realized that Shi Xiaole was genuinely an Invincible Earth Immortal, and his power likely didn’t fall short of his own.
"Is that so?"
Shi Xiaole shook his head.
Crack Earth King felt a sudden chill at his lower body and looked down, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets. What he saw was his upper body suspended in air, while looking up, his lower body was still in place.
Just what kind of swift sword strike could sever him in an instant, without him even sensing it!
Endless pain finally overwhelmed Crack Earth King, and with immeasurable terror, he fell to the ground, breathless.
Hiss!
Gasp after gasp of shock resounded all around.
